Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Belgian Liege Waffles, possibly the most perfect food on the face of this planet

When I was on my way to Brussels, Belgium from Antwep hopping back on a train, I picked up a waffle (wafel) at the train station. I selected a plain waffle with a sheer dusting of powdered sugar. The lesson I learned was not to judge a waffle before you take a bite. This waffle was one of the most incredible things I have ever tasted. The outside was uniformly golden brown with a crust that makes its presence known. The inside was soft pillowy carby goodness with a sweet crunch of caramelized sugar.

I became obsessed with these waffles. They bore little resemblance to their thin, tough, and limp US counterparts. I found that a food truck in Austin served legit wafels. I have confirmed that they make a dough (legit) as opposed to that pale liquid waffle batter that you get at hotel hot breakfast bars.

Wafels come with an assortment of toppings and dips in Belgium.

And I took it upon myself to figure out how to make them. After spending hours (yes, hours) researching the thickest waffle makers available and reading up on recipes. I thought I was a ready. I purchased Presto Flipside Belgian Waffle Maker that was touted to deliver the thickest waffles. I’ve baked many things in my lifetime, and the yeast-y dough of the leige waffle was well within my skill set. I made my own pearl sugar, and I tried a few haphazard batches based off the Smitten Kitchen recipe. I will admit that cleaning up a waffle iron is too much of a trouble, and I shouldn’t be making leige wafels at home that often anyways. I don’t need to spend time getting caramelized sugar off an iron that doesn’t have removable plates nor does my rear need that many waffles. The Wafel Guys should be my go to when it is time to treat myself to a taste of Belgium, in moderation of course.

Fortunately for me, the day that I decided that leige wafels should not be made at home, I walked by a sample cart at Costco with waffles. I was skeptical that something so amazing could come out of a plastic clamshell from an American warehouse store.

A pack of 12 are 6.99. These are a seasonal item.

Again, I was wrong. Julian’s waffles are amazing. You can purchase them on Amazon if you don’t have a Costco membership, and some grocery stores may carry them as well. It looks like I can pick some up at my local grocery chain.